Advancements in processing power have enabled the design and manufacture of processing devices which deviate from a traditional input device such as a keyboard. For example, hardware and software have been developed which allow a user to control a computer using normal speech. The user is also capable of dictating information to be stored in memory provided with the computer. Presently, however, accurate speech input must be provided to allow the processor to accurately translate the speech into computer readable data. As such, it is desired to locate a microphone close to the user such that background noise is minimized. Present systems, therefore, require that the user wear a headset to position the microphone close to the user's mouth. The processing power required to perform speech recognition, combined with the requirement for high-quality speech input, dictates that a user operate a traditional stationary personal computer.
Mobile personal computing devices, such as lap-top computers and personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, are available with touch screens as input devices. These touch screens allow a user to touch locations on the display screen to indicate desired input. This type of input allows manufacturers to simplify the interface between the user and the processor, while still providing flexibility to adapt to changes in software executed by the processor.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a mobile personal computing device which allows a user to enter information using both a touch screen and voice commands.